Outside frames for umbrella type tents



NOV. 15, 1966 TOMBARl ET AL 3,285,257

OUTSIDE FRAMES FOR UMBRELLA TYPE TENTS Filed NOV. 8, 1963 ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,285,257 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 7 3,285,257 OUTSIDE FRAMES FOR UMBRELLA TYPE TENTS Aldo L. Tombari and Jack P. Simpson, Statesville, N.C., assignors to The Hettrick Manufacturing Company, Statesville, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 322,360 1 Claim. (Cl. 135-3) This invention relates to umbrella type tents but more particularly to outside frames for such tents by which the tent is disposed wholly within the supporting frame.

The erection of tents always presents a problem and in most cases this is troublesome and time consuming. Even with the so-called outside frame, the latter is first erected and then there is required considerable time and work to attach the tent body before the tent is ready for use. It is a desideratum to provide a tent frame particularly for umbrella type tents by which the tent can be assembled to the frame on the ground so that with greater ease and facility, the operation can be accomplished and then by a rocking motion the assembled tent and frame are erected and ready for use.

An object is to produce a frame for umbrella type tents which satisfies the above desider'atum in an exceedingly simple and eflicient manner.

Another object is to produce an outside frame for umbrella type tents which is first arranged on the ground in a convenient position where the tent body is attached and then the frame and tent are rocked to an upright position of use.

A further object is to produce a simple and eflicient outside frame for umbrella type tents having the new and improved features of construction, arrangement and erection hereinafter described,

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of an outside frame and umbrella type tent assembly, showing one form of our new frame;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the tent frame shown on FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation taken at right angles to the showing of FIGURE 2 of the tent frame shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top perspective view of another form of outside tent frame showing in assembled relation an umbrella type tent;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the tent frame shown in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation taken at right angles to the showing of FIGURE 5.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises an umbrella type tent which is well known in the art and is made of canvas or similar flexible fabric material and is generally indicated at 10 on FIGURES 1 and 4. The tent is supported by an outside frame indicated at 11 in the form shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 and at 11a in the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 4 to 6.

The umbrella type tent 10 as is well known to those skilled in the art comprises a flexible fabric body having four downwardly and outwardly slanting side walls 12, secured together by sewed seams, there being a window 13 in one of these side walls and a door 14 in another of the side walls. There is shown a canopy 14a over the door 14, the outer end of which may be supported by upright poles 14b. At the top of the tent is an upwardly inclined peak portion 15 which, as shown, is made up of four triangularly shaped sections suitably secured together and to the side wall by sewed seams. It will also be observed that in the erected position of the tent, ground pegs 16 are arranged at each corner and over these extend loops connected to the corners of the tent for holding the same in a desired taut position.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, the outside frame 11 is formed with a pair of V-shaped upright supports 17 which are spaced laterally from each other and are disposed outside of the respective side walls of the tent. They extend inclinedly upward to about the juncture of the side walls and the peak portion 15 of the tent. In this instance, it will be noted that the apex of the V-supports 17 is formed by flattening the adjacent ends, as by swaging. These flattened ends are laterally perforated and overlapped and a U-type stake 18 passing through the aligned holes is driven into the ground with sufiicient clearance to afford rocking action as hereinafter described.

Connected to the upper ends of the V-shaped supports 17 are horizontal rails 19 and as shown these extend parallel to each other and are disposed slightly above the upper ends of the side walls of the tent. Connecting the central portion of the horizontal rails 19 is an inverted V-shaped peak support 20, which is spaced above the peak portion of the tent and is connected to the peak by a helical coil spring 21. This supports the upper portion of the tent and maintains it taut in a flexible or resilient manner. It will be noted that similarly from the juncture of the rails 19 and the respective arms of the V-shaped upright 17 are supporting coil springs 21 which extend to the corners of the tent and similarly impose resilient tension thereon.

Referring now to FIGURES 4 to 6, an alternate form of outside frame is shown. In this instance, upright inwardly inclined posts 22 are provided, one being disposed in opposed relation to the other and arranged midway between the side edges of the adjacent side walls of the tent. The bottom end of each post is swaged to a tapered point and extends through a ring and tab attachment 18a on the bottom edge of the tent to effect a gripping action with the ground. At the upper end of the posts 22 and disposed at right angles thereto is a horizontally disposed rectangular frame portion 23. As shown, the frame por-' tion 23 is of such size as to extend slightly outwardly from and above the adjacent upper ends of the side walls 12.

Arranged at right angles to and connected to the other opposed sides of the frame portion 23 is an inverted V-support 24, the arms of which are connected to a central portion of the respective side rail of the frame portion 23. The apex of the support 24 is spaced above the peak of the tent and is connected thereto to support and hold the same under resilient tension by a coil spring hanger 21. Similarly from each of the corners of the frame portion 23 extend coil spring hangers 21 to the corners of the tent as shown in FIGURE 4.

It will be understood that the supports 17 and posts 22 of the tent frames are of telescopic form with suitable clamps to enable height adjustment to be made as will be readily understood in the art. This not only facilitates assembly but enables compacting of the frame for storage and shipment.

One important feature of the above described tent frames is that they may first be assembled on the ground and then rocked or swiveled into vertical position of use. For example, with respect to the frame shown in FIG- URES l to 3, the frame 11 may rest on one of the arms of each V-frame 17 and the respective cross rail 19. While in this position on the ground, the body of the tent is connected to the frame by connecting the coil spring hangers 21 in the position above described. Thereafter, the tent frame can be rocked or swiveled to its vertical position by pulling on a tent floor or lower portion of the tent walls. Then it is simply a matter of pounding the stakes 16 and 18 in the ground, connect the usual loops thereto, and the tent is in erected position ready for use. The same thing obtains with respect to the form of the tent frame shown in FIGURES 4 to 6. The apex of the upright 17 in one instance, and the lower end of a post 22 in the other instance provides a pivot about which the frame and the tent body can be rocked to its erected position in a relatively simple manner and with the exertion of a minimum amount of effort.

' Numerous changes and details of construction, arrangement and choice of materials may be eflected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A pyramidal tent comprising: 1

a tent fabric body, said fabric body being generally pyramidal in shape including side walls and a peaked top portion;

a supporting frame for said tent fabric body, said frame comprising a rigid top frame portion having dimensions substantially greater than the corresponding peaked top portion of the pyramidal shape of said tent fabric body so as to be spaced from the peaked top portion at all points;

a pair of laterally spaced elongated primary support members having one of theirend portions rigidly attached to said top frame portion, said primary support members having length dimensions substantially greater than the height of the corresponding side walls of said tent fabric body and being aligned one with the other, the opposite end portion of each of said primary support members having a ground engaging pivot means; and

resilient spring members extending between the apeces of the peaked top portion of said tent fabric body and the corresponding portions of said rigid top frame portion,

whereby said tent fabric body is arranged wholly within and spaced from said supporting frame, the arrangement being such that said supporting frame can be laid on its side, said tent fabric body attached to the inside of said frame by said resilient spring members, and the assembly rocked about said ground engaging pivot means of said primary support members to a vertical position of use.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,542,184 6/1925 $12011 135 3 2,796,877 6/1957 Berseth 135-4 FOREIGN PATENTS 721,247 12/1931 France. 1,140,566 3/1957 France.

677,066 6/1939 Germany.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner.

L. J. SANTISI, A. I. BREIER, Assistant Examiners. 

